Arsene Wenger: Rich rivals push up our prices

Arsene Wenger today claimed Arsenal's ticket price increase is due to rival clubs spending beyond their means, forcing Gunners supporters to foot the bill to ensure their team remain competitive.

The club announced a 6.5 per cent rise on average this week with the cheapest price for a season ticket at Emirates Stadium now £951.

Supporters have greeted the decision with dismay and the Arsenal Supporters' Trust are holding a meeting on Monday night to discuss possible protest action against the move.

But Wenger insists the excessive spending of clubs such as Manchester City, who have splashed out more than £250million on players in the past two summers and Chelsea, who bought Fernando Torres and David Luiz for a £71m in January, is forcing others to raise their prices in order to increase revenue.

He said: "We tried to keep the increase as low as possible - we spoke about that at the board meeting. Unfortunately, the expenses always go up. We do not master the expenses because they are dictated by our opponents.

"That's why the financial fair play is so important because we're pushed into a situation we do not master. If our opponents do not respect the financial fair play, our expenses will always go up and we can only reflect that as low as possible on the ticket prices.

"We try in every way to increase our income to fight with the other clubs but the resources will always be down to three different incomes - media, sponsorship and gate receipts."

A significant section of Arsenal supporters have been critical that Wenger does not reinvest the club's income in the playing staff. Their mood will not be lifted by the 61-year-old's admission he would have bought another centre-back had the extent of Thomas Vermaelen's injury been known from the outset.

Vermaelen has been out since August with an Achilles problem but is back in the first-team squad after coming through a full reserve outing against Manchester United last week and could feature against Stoke on Sunday.

"Had I known the extent of Vermaelen's injury, I would have tried to sign a centre-back," said Wenger.

"But first of all in August I did not know Johan Djourou would play so many games and in December I thought Vermaelen would be back.

"He had a setback at the end of January but we hoped he would play the second part of the season. It is not only being not proactive. You have to find the players. Football is not a supermarket where you go and say 'I want a good player, give me one please'.

"You must find them, and in the middle of the season to find a player who strengthens Arsenal is not easy. If you look at the numbers in this League, you can only have regrets when you see the number of goals we conceded in open play, or at the post.

"He is one of those whom you would have loved to have played. We did not have Vermaelen for the whole season, but if you look at the numbers, we conceded less goals from open play than any other team in the League, so it is not all negative, even defensively."

Wenger revealed he will discuss Nicklas Bendtner's future at the end of the season with the striker thought to be unhappy at a lack of first-team games.

Bendtner has started just three League games this season and Wenger said: "I completely agree he did not get enough chances - it was a very difficult season for him. He must be frustrated and I am as well because I feel he was not involved enough. That is part of the competition as well but we will see where we go from here at the end of the season. I hope he will stay."

Cesc Fabregas (thigh), Samir Nasri (hamstring) and Abou Diaby (calf) will all miss the trip to Stoke, while Gael Clichy (hamstring) and Djourou (ankle) are doubts.